Close Combat vs AFVs Example #2

Inside the claustrophobic hull of the Sherman, the American crew heard the terrifying clack-thud of metal hitting armor before they even spotted the enemy. The commander barely had time to scream, “Swarmers!” before a blinding explosion ripped through the engine deck, sending a molten jet of copper punching through the firewall. In a second, the fighting compartment was a blazing inferno, ending the war for the Betty Lou before her crew could even traverse the turret in defense.

This is Part 2 of a several part series of articles teaching the basics of Close Combat (CC) between infantry and AFVs. This example is again based on the scenario “Second Crack at Caumont” (AP32). In this case, the American Sherman gets to fight back against the German grenadiers trying to take it out.

Taking out enemy armor with infantry requires guts, good die rolls, and a firm grasp of the rules. In this article, we’ll break down late-war German infantry swarming an American M4 Sherman tank. Based on the provided example, we will walk step-by-step through the Advance Phase, the mechanics of Infantry vs. Vehicle Close Combat (CC), Anti-Tank Magnetic Mines (ATMM), and what happens when the tank strikes back.

Phase 1: Advance Phase

Before you can attack an Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV) in Close Combat, you must first muster the courage to step into its hex. This is governed by the Pre-AFV Attack Task Check (PAATC, A11.6).

• The Rule: Any non-leader infantry unit must pass a PAATC (against their current morale level) before advancing into a hex containing an enemy AFV.
• Leader Exception: Leaders are immune to this check. Furthermore, a leader can use their leadership modifier to influence the DR of any units they’re stacked with.
• PAATC Failure: If a unit fails its PAATC, it becomes Pinned in its current hex and can’t advance.

Example Situation:

We have two German 4-6-8 squads and a leader named Wolff preparing to advance on a Sherman tank (see image below).

1. Squad 1: Has a base morale of 8. The player rolls for the PAATC, rolls an 8 or less, and successfully passes. The squad advances into the Sherman’s hex.
2. Squad 2 & Wolff: Wolf doesn’t need to roll. He’s not afraid of no stinkin’ Sherman! The squad stacked with him must roll, but benefits from Wolff’s -1 Leadership Modifier. With a base morale of 8, the squad effectively needs to roll a 9 or less on the dice. The squad passes and also advances into the hex alongside Wolf.

Phase 2: Close Combat Phase

Once the infantry successfully enters the AFV’s hex, there’s no activity until the Close Combat Phase. Unlike standard Infantry vs. Infantry CC, attacks here are sequential (never simultaneous). The advancing infantry always strikes first, followed by the tank, followed by the remaining infantry … until one side is destroyed or all attacks are exhausted.

The First Infantry Attack

You don’t need to pre-designate all your attacks at once; you can resolve one and see the outcome before committing the next.

• Grouping Limit: A maximum of two units can group together to attack an AFV, but one of those units must be a leader. Otherwise, squads must attack individually.
• Close Combat Value (CCV): Infantry attacks against vehicles use a CCV rather than Firepower (FP). A standard squad has a CCV of 5. A single-man counter (SMC) like a leader alone uses a different value, but when stacked with a squad, the leader simply adds +1 to the squad’s CCV, which is the case here.

Example Situation:

Wolff and Squad 2 group up for the first attack.

• Squad 2 CCV: 5
• Wolf (SMC bonus): +1
• Total Base CCV: 6

Phase 3: Anti-Tank Magnetic Mines (ATMM)

Because this scenario takes place in 1944 or later, German infantry can check for inherent ATMMs to devastating effect (C13.7, NA in Starter Kit). The squad rolls a single die to determine if they have an ATMM:

Note: Leadership modifiers cannot be applied to the ATMM check roll.

In our example, the squad rolls a 3 and successfully equips an ATMM.

Phase 4: Resolving the Attack:

To destroy the Sherman, the modified die roll must be less than or equal to the total CCV. Remember, infantry always attack first!

• Total Base CCV: 6 (from above)
• Modifiers: -3 (ATMM) and -1 (Wolff’s Leadership) = -4 Total DRM!
• With a -4 DRM, any roll of 10 will result in a final modified roll of 6 or lower, resulting in an immobilized Sherman. An original DR of 9 or less will result in its destruction. And an original DR of 7 or less will result in a burning wreck (7 – 4 DRM = 3, which is ≤ the Total Base CCV of squad + Wolff).

Phase 5: AFV Strikes Back

Let’s assume Wolff and squad roll poorly, and the Sherman survives the first onslaught. It then gets to retaliate.

• The Rule: When an AFV attacks infantry in Close Combat, it doesn’t use the CCV system. Instead, it uses odds ratios, but still different than the standard Infantry vs. Infantry system (Firepower vs. Firepower). Instead, the odds ratio is calculated by using MG firepower against the CCV of the infantry units it’s attacking.
• Weapon Restrictions: A tank can only attack back using specific weaponry: the Coaxial MG, the Anti-Aircraft MG (only if Crew Exposed), the Rear MG, IFE ≤ 15mm (MA only), or a Close Defense System.

Example Situation:

Our Sherman only has a usable CMG, which has a Firepower of 4. Note it does have an AAMG, but the AFV is currently BU. Note that if the Sherman was CE, it could combine the CMG and AAMG to muster 8 FP (or used them separately). But in this case, it targets the lone German 4-6-8 squad (which has not attacked yet) not grouped with Wolff.

• Odds Ratio: 4 FP (Sherman CMG) vs. 5 CCV (Squad) results in a 1:2 odds ratio.
• The Roll: At 1:2 odds, the Sherman needs to roll a 4 to secure a partial kill (Casualty Reduction), or a 3 for an outright kill. The tank rolls exactly a 4.
• The Result: The 4-6-8 squad suffers casualty reducting the 4-6-8 to a 2-4-8 (with a 3 CCV)

Phase 6: Final Attacks & Melee

The Sherman made its sole allowable attack. Now, the surviving (just reduced) German Half-Squad gets its opportunity to strike back.

• Half-Squad CCV: Due to casualty reduction, the Half-Squad’s base CCV is reduced to 3.
• ATMM Check: Half-squads check for ATMMs exactly like full squads, but with a +1 drm. The player rolls a 1, successfully granting the unit an ATMM and a -3 DRM.
• The Roll: With a CCV of 3 and a -3 DRM, the Half-Squad needs to roll a 6 to immobilize (6 – 3 = 3) or a 5 or less (5 – 3 = 2) to kill the tank. The player rolls a 4, and the Sherman is destroyed.

What if the infantry failed again?

• The Sherman can’t attack back again because it’s already exhausted its only eligible weapon (the CMG).
• Vehicles are never locked in Melee. If the Sherman survives the CC phase, the CC counter is removed, and the tank is completely free to simply drive away during its next movement phase.

Debriefing

Close Combat between infantry and AFVs is one of ASL‘s most tense and satisfying exchanges because neither side is ever truly safe, and CC is one of the rare times in ASL where outright kills become commonplace. As this example demonstrates, a single half-squad with a lucky ATMM roll can reduce it to a burning wreck in moments. The reverse is equally true — a tank that survives the first onslaught gets to fight back, and a single CMG burst can strip a full squad down to something far less threatening before it ever gets its second swing. The Sherman in this example was doomed by the numbers. The lesson here is to never wade your AFVs into tight environments without infantry support.

In Part 3 I’ll go over even more examples of Close Combat involving AFVs!

Academy Out!

GET TO THE CHOPPA…!!!

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